After the party celebrating Scootaloo's first flight, continuing the story was delayed to the following morning. Over breakfast, Samus once more picked up the tale.
Samus and Spike made their way along a new path through Magmoor Caverns, made available by Samus' Wave Beam. Samus took the above lava path, dropping stalactites into the lava for platforms to jump across, along with a magnetic rail leading above a massive lava pool. Spike took the in lava path, dodging dropping stalactites and soaking in the massive lava pool to ease the injuries he received fighting Thardus.
This led them back into familiar territory, leading them back towards the Chozo Ruins. Spike acted as a platform for Samus to cross the lava pits that were too wide for her to get across with just her Space Jump. Spike's senses directed Samus to shattering a pillar in another lava chamber with a Super Missile to acquire the Artifact of Nature.
As they made their way through the Chozo Ruins, however, Samus noticed that Spike was beginning to get a bit sluggish. "You alright?" she asked him.
"Huh-wha?" he responded before shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm okay..." He shook himself out. "I'll be fine..."
Samus frowned. "Soon as we can, we're finding someplace you can rest. You're still growing, after all." She glanced over him for a time. "Quite rapidly, at that."
Spike nodded helplessly, shrugging his shoulders.
When Samus's scans led her to the Tower of Light for a new pickup, she told Spike to stay down below while she climbed up. While she went above to collect the Wavebuster Charge Combo for Wave Beam, Spike decided to take a swim, finding his way to the hiding place of the Artifact of Lifegiver.
As they reached the Hall of the Elders, however, Spike's listlessness became even more pronounced. Before Samus could even react, Spike keeled over, falling from the skylight he had entered the chamber from and landing heavily, practically at the feet of the Chozo Statue.
"Spike!" Samus cried out, rushing to his side. She briefly disengaged her power suit to put her fingers to the side of his neck, where she'd felt for his pulse before. She could still feel it, but it was barely there, only 20 bpm, incredibly low for him. Not only that, his scales felt soft, flimsy.
Donning her power suit once more, she immediately performed a deep scan on him.
Spike's vital signs have reduced below normal level of a growth stasis. However, they remain stable. High energy reaction inside his frame indicates a high level metamorphosis is about to occur. Structural integrity of Spike's scales has dropped 75%. Increased vulnerability to damage.
Alert: high energy reaction can be detected at great distance. High probability of detection by Space Pirates and other threats.
"Fuck!" Samus growled as she braced herself for combat. She had two beam weapons, a reduced missile supply, and only her Varia Suit, and she was about to be under assault by Space Pirates and who knew what else.
Unfortunately, an answer to that came all too soon as several mad Chozo Ghosts rose to attack, apparently drawn by the energy reaction inside Spike. Samus quickly switched to her Power Beam, charging up for Super Missiles. While this would eat away her missile supply quickly, she hoped she'd be able to destroy the ghosts fast enough that she could replenish her missiles from the missile station above.
It was not a pleasant battle. She couldn't afford to dodge out of the way of the Ghosts' attacks, because she was the only thing keeping those blasts from hitting Spike. It took longer - and she took more damage - than she had hoped, and she had to check both Spike's status and her sonar before she could head for the Missile Station.
Spike seemed to have grown quite a bit since he fell over, which explained the softening of his scales. They needed to stretch and make room for new scales as he grew before they could resume normal hardness. However, this only presented a larger target for when the Space Pirates got there.
Energy reaction analyzed. Unknown time frame until Spike awakens.
Alert: Space Pirate incoming. ETA, 60 seconds.
Cursing, Samus leapt up as fast as she could to the Missile Station, replenishing her missiles. She wished she had time to find some energy to replenish her shields with, but she only had ten seconds to get back to Spike's side before the first Space Pirates showed up.
Just as she reached Spike's side, the first aeropirates came in through the skylight, priming their weapons. Thankfully, the entry was narrow, and she was able to take out each one as it entered with a single Super Missile.
When Shadow Pirates dropped in cloaked, she quickly switched to her Thermal Visor, using her Wave Beam to take them out as fast as she could, disabling them at the same time in an attempt to prevent them contacting their reinforcements.
This went on for quite some time as she began to run low on missiles. Towards the end, however, three pirate types she didn't recognize dropped in. All three were armored in black, with different colors of energy glowing in the cracks. One was yellow, one was purple, one was red. As they landed heavily, their armor systems taking time to energize, Samus managed to scan each one.
Power Trooper
The Power Trooper is a Space Pirate that's armed with Power Beam technology. Space Pirates have reverse-engineered several weapons, including the Power Beam. A flaw in the design makes these Pirates vulnerable only to their own Beam weapon system. These weapons are inferior to Chozo-designed originals, but still quite potent.
Okay, that's not so bad, she thought to herself. A couple Super Missiles ought to finish him off.
Wave Trooper
A Space Pirate armed with Wave Beam technology. Space Pirates have reverse-engineered several weapons, including the Wave Beam. A flaw in the design makes these Pirates vulnerable only to their own Beam weapon system. These weapons are inferior to Chozo-designed originals, but still quite potent.
Well, I should have enough missiles left to finish him off with a Wavebuster blast, Samus thought, worry beginning to creep into her thoughts. She turned to the last one.
Plasma Trooper
The Plasma Trooper is a Space Pirate that's armed with Plasma Beam technology. Space Pirates have reverse-engineered several weapons, including the Plasma Beam. A flaw in the design makes these Pirates vulnerable only to their own Beam weapon system. These weapons are inferior to Chozo-designed originals, but still quite potent.
...fuck...
Samus was able to take out the Power Trooper rather quickly, but the Wave Trooper depleted her missiles completely. At that point, however, the Plasma Trooper was active and advancing. Grimly, Samus lowered her hand to her hip. She knew her beam weapons were useless at this point - a few shots of power beam and wave beam had already bounced off the Plasma Trooper's armor - and she was out of missiles. She did have a plas-knife at her hip that might penetrate the armor, but she doubted it. However, if it was what it took...
Seeing the trooper reach up to its head, she realized it was about to report in. She lunged forward, the knife leaping into her hand. Maybe if she got it in the eye-
A plasma blast sent her rocketing across the floor to impact heavily against the wall.
Alert: Armor shielding at 20%. Energy reserves spent. Retreat highly recommended.
At that moment, the Plasma Trooper raised its weapon towards the Chozo Statue.
"Get away from my son!" Samus roared, lunging forward.
At that moment, a blast of green focused into a tight beam punched right through the Plasma Trooper, melting its entire body to slag.
Samus stumbled, falling to her knees. A large purple claw caught her arm as she stumbled. She turned, her gaze following up his arm.
Spike now stood as tall as any Chozo if he stood erect, although the current alignment of his knees pointed towards walking on all fours. His musculature was quite thick, and every inch of his body rippled under the scales, which now shone like diamonds. His muzzle had lengthened slightly, coming to a sharper point, now prominently a beak. Razor sharp teeth were visible curling over his lips here and there from inside his muzzle. His tail was a cord of muscle as thick as her waist, and his spines along his back were now much sharper, glinting at the tips. His eyes seemed at first to stare right through her, before locking onto her, the gaze of a predator.
She shivered inside. Suddenly, in that gaze, Spike looked a lot more like Ridley.
And then his gaze softened. "Are you alright, Mom?" he asked softly, his voice now much deeper.
Her scan visor kicked in.
Subject Spike has completed the metamorphosis. Measuring proportion of his body against his head, claws, and tail, he appears to now be a physically mature adult for his species. Further growth is unlikely to include physical expansion. While the full increase of abilities is unknown, flame breath can now be focused into an intense stream mirroring the Plasma Beam. This likely can be used to break heat coded force fields.
Samus managed to get to her feet, steadying herself a bit against Spike. "I am now that you're up and about," she replied. Managing to get herself under control, she smacked him upside the head with her arm cannon. "Lazybones!"
Spike chuckled, rubbing the back of his head where she'd hit him, though not in pain.
Around the table in the Crystal Castle, several mares and three fillies began to breath again. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. "That was...awesome!"
Samus laughed at her reaction. "In hindsight, perhaps. But at the time, I was pretty pissed. First he scares me half to death, then I nearly fight to the death to keep him safe while he naps...and the next thing he did was yawn at me! If I hadn't been out of missiles, I'd have fed him one, just to prove a point." Seeing shocked stares, she scoffed. "He'd already handled eating explosive enemies without damage to his mouth. A missile to the inside of his upper jaw wouldn't have fazed him very much."
Spike chuckled. "I wonder how missiles taste?"
Smirking, Samus leveled her arm cannon at him. "Care to taste?" she offered.
"Pass," Spike replied laughing, holding his hands up as though warding her away.
Samus chuckled. "Well, after that, we were able to retrieve what we'd come there to find...the Artifact of World and Ice Beam functionality." She shivered. "I'm just glad an Ice Trooper didn't show up before Spike woke up. That would have been bad."
"From what I can interpret based on the other Trooper enemies," Luna inferred, "I can well imagine."